1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in vehicular weapons supports, and more particularly, to a gun and rifle support rack used in the passenger compartments of automotive vehicles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Gun and rifle support racks are frequently used in the vehicles of peace officers for supporting shot guns, rifles and like assault weapons. There are critical requirements with respect to the use of these gun and rifle support racks, which are typically referred to as "gun support racks". First of all, a single gun support rack must be constructed so that it is adapted to fit within the passenger compartments of large numbers of vehicles in order to avoid a multiplicity of different sizes or styles of gun support racks.
Another requirement for a suitable gun support rack is that it must be capable of accommodating different sized guns or rifles. Here again, this is a desirable feature in order to eliminate a multiplicity of different sizes of gun support racks for different sized guns or rifles, that is, rifles or guns having different barrel lengths or different stock sizes.
It is also desirable to have a gun support rack in which the gun or rifle can be quickly and easily removed from the support rack in the event of an eminent danger or immediate need for use of the weapon. Clearly, any delay in removing the gun or rifle could place the peace officer in a serious or critically dangerous situation, or otherwise it could preclude proper pursuit or capture of a criminal suspect or wanted individual.
Closely coupled with the need for quick and easy removal of a weapon from the support rack is the need for security of the weapon while stored in the support rack. There must be some positive locking mechanism which secures the weapon within the support rack when the peace officer temporarily leaves his or her vehicle, but which is nevertheless capable of being rapidly opened for authorized removal of the weapon by the peace officer.
In many cases, the peace officer may require use of the gun or rifle even while the vehicle is moving. Thus, the peace officer may literally be driving the vehicle with one hand on the steering wheel and may attempt to remove the gun or rifle from the support rack with the other hand. Accordingly, there is a need for a vehicle support rack capable of storing guns and rifles and in which the peace officer or other user of the rack can quickly and immediately remove the weapon from the support rack even during movement of the vehicle.
Many vehicle gun and rifle support racks are mounted adjacent to the dashboard of the vehicle and hold the rifle or shotgun in a vertically disposed position. This type of weapon support rack is undesirable in that it occupies a substantial amount of space in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Moreover, it renders the weapon readily observable from the exterior of the vehicle, which has been found to be undesirable.
There have been proposals for vehicle gun and rifle support racks to be secured to the interior surface of the roof of the automotive vehicle. However, in view of the fat that there are a large number of differing roof configurations among the various vehicles used by peace officers, there is a concomitant requirement for an inventory of a large number of differing sized and shaped vehicle gun support racks.
Many of the commercially available gun and rifle support racks utilize an electromagnetic lock. These locks are energized and are set to be operated when the peace officer enters the vehicle and turns on the ignition. By actuation of a switch, such as a push-button switch, the lock is capable of being opened. A timing mechanism is associated with the operation of the switches such that the peace officer only has a window of time, usually eight seconds from the operation of the switch, in which to retrieve the gun or rifle. If for some reason, the peace officer is unable to remove the gun or rifle within that time frame, he or she must actuate the switch again and remove the weapon.
Heretofore, there has not been any vehicular weapon support which meets many, if not all of the requirements for a suitable gun support rack. The presently available weapon supports usually lack in one or more of these essential features.